Video Comment Responder Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Video Comment Responder accesses, uses, stores and shares data obtained through Google APIs. It applies to everyone who connects a YouTube channel to the tool.

What Google user data we access

When you connect your Google account, you grant one permission: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.force-ssl.

Using it, the tool reads comment threads on the YouTube channel you manage. That includes the text of each comment, the commenter’s public display name, when it was posted, which video it is on, and how many replies it already has. It also uses that permission to post replies you have approved.

Why we access it

To show you which comments nobody has answered, to draft a suggested reply to each, and to post the replies you approve. There is no other purpose.

How the data is used

Comment text is shown to you in a review document and is used to draft a suggested reply. Nothing is posted unless you approve that specific reply. We do not use your data for advertising, we do not sell it, and we do not use it to build or improve any product other than answering your comments.

Where the data is stored

On your own computer, and nowhere else. We operate no servers and hold no copy of your data.

The access token that represents your permission is written to a file in a folder you choose on your own machine. Review documents are written to the same folder. Both remain under your control and can be deleted by you at any time.

How we protect your data

Security procedures are in place to protect the confidentiality of Google user data handled by Video Comment Responder. Specifically:

Encryption in transit. All communication with Google’s APIs uses HTTPS with TLS. Comment data, access tokens and authorization codes are never sent over an unencrypted connection.
Restricted file permissions. Your OAuth access and refresh tokens are written to disk with owner-only permissions (file mode 0600), so they are readable only by your own user account on your own computer.
No servers, so no central store to breach. We operate no servers and keep no copy of your data. Google user data exists only on your own computer and in Google’s own systems. There is no database of ours holding your comments, your tokens, or your channel information.
Minimum necessary access. The tool requests one permission and uses a small part of it. It reads comment threads and inserts replies you approved. It never deletes, moderates, rates, or modifies videos, captions or channel settings.
Limited third-party processing. The only third party that receives any Google user data is Anthropic, which processes comment text over an encrypted connection solely to draft a suggested reply, under the privacy policy linked below. No other party receives it.
Immediate revocation under your control. You can end all access at any time by revoking the permission in your Google Account and deleting the token file. Neither action depends on us, and once taken the tool can no longer read or post anything.

What we share, and with whom

To write a suggested reply, the text of the comment being answered is processed by Claude, the assistant this tool runs inside, operated by Anthropic. Anthropic’s handling of that content is governed by their own privacy policy at anthropic.com/legal/privacy.

We share your data with no one else. No advertisers, no analytics providers, no data brokers.

How long we keep it

We keep nothing, because we store nothing. On your own machine, the access token remains until you delete it or withdraw access, and review documents remain until you delete them.

How to withdraw access

Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions, find Video Comment Responder, and remove access. Then delete the token file from your folder. The tool immediately loses all ability to read or post anything.

Limited use

Video Comment Responder’s use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.